Monday, September 26, 2011

Friday marked the first day of fall, but in my hometown, it still feels like summer. Temperatures reached a 100 degrees over the weekend causing my air conditioning to work overtime.

Reflecting on my summer, I am sad to see it end. Recently, I was able to enjoy time with close friends when I took a girls weekend to Florida. While I love being married, I miss girl time and would love to do this every year! Visiting West Palm Beach was the relaxing trip I needed. The view of the ocean was beautiful and the smell of saltwater filled the air. We also had a chance to make a quick trip to Miami to check out Versace's old mansion and take in the view, food, and fun! While we may have overindulged on food and drinks, we definitely had a good time. Moderation is always the key! Goodbye summer....it was fun while it lasted, but I look forward to cooler temperatures and falling leaves!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

This summer has been brutal. With a drought and unbearable heat, finding activities to do has been difficult. To deal with temperatures, I find that I have been eating out a lot- just to get myself out of my air-conditioned home to another air-conditioned place. Luckily, the month of August is Restaurant Week in Houston. Various restaurants around town participate in this city-wide event that includes a 3 course prix-frix meal with a portion of the proceeds ($5 from each meal served) benefitting the Houston Food Bank.

As a former Food Bank instructor, I think this is a great cause to help the hunger crisis in Houston. According to the website, by dining only once at a participating restaurant during this event supports 15 meals for a child or adult in the Houston area. What a great cause, and a great way to experience new foods!

My husband and I have enthusiastically participated this year, dining at various restaurants. While all of our choices may not be healthy, it has helped me taste new foods at fantastic restaurants. If you ever are in the Houston area, visit a couple of our new favorites:

1. Strip House. Contrary to its name, this restaurant offers great ambiance, service, and of course, food. The benefit of high-end steak houses is that cows are grass fed- a new important component to my family's diet. While I am unable to taste the difference between organic and non-organic, I am worried about the health risks that corn-fed cows may cause. After a recent conference, I was enlightened by the fact that corn-fed cows no longer solely count as a source of protein, but also as a source of carbohydrate. Therefore, I need to balance my carbohydrate at meal time when consuming corn fed meats. On the other hand, grass fed meat provides a source of vitamins and minerals and reduces the possibility of food poisoning.

2. Mockingbird Bistro
This restaurant is known more for being a wine bar, but the food was excellent. Seafood was the food of choice for myself as I chose huge scallops as my main course. While scallops are high in cholesterol, they are low in fat and calories, thus allowing a good alternative to the extensive amount of steak we have consumed. The other bonus to this place is that they claim to use the freshest ingredients- therefore the menu changes frequently to allow customers to eat ingredients that are in season. Choosing and consuming ingredients in season is a good rule of thumb to follow at home. Typically, I choose vegetables and fruit that are in season to save myself money while still being able to enjoy the flavor.

If you visit any restaurants, please let me know. I am always up for trying something new!